šŸ— Sky-High Terror Elevator

Plus: Meme Mayhem winner inside!

Hello Fellow Engineers!

Ever wanted to zoom up a mountain in a glass box? Weā€™ve got a ride thatā€™ll make you question your life choicesā€”the Bailong Elevator.

Letā€™s dive into it šŸ‘‡

Before we get started, I wanted to thank everyone who joined the Meme Mayhem giveaway!

The winner isā€¦ šŸ„ drumroll please, paddy šŸ„ā€¦ Tristan L.!

Check your email for a Meme Mayhem Steam key from me!

Be sure to vote in the Poll in todayā€™s ā€œTruss Me, Iā€™m an Engineerā€¦ā€ below to enter next weekā€™s Random Game Giveaway!

šŸ‘·ā€ā™‚ļø Truss Me, Iā€™m an Engineerā€¦

Sky-High Terror Elevator

Ready for a ride thatā€™ll take your breath awayā€”literally? Meet the Bailong Elevator, the worldā€™s tallest outdoor elevator that whisks you up 326 meters of sheer cliff face in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China. Thatā€™s right, youā€™re basically zooming up the side of a mountain in a glass box. No big deal.

Nicknamed the "Hundred Dragons Elevator" (because ā€œSky-High Terror Rideā€ didnā€™t make the cut), this engineering marvel is an elevator and a thrill ride all in one. Made almost entirely of glass, it offers a front-row view of stunning mountains, forests, and the realization that youā€™re dangling over 1,000 feet in the air. Itā€™s an engineering masterpiece, so naturally, no architects were involved.

So, if youā€™re looking for the ultimate vertical adventure without breaking a sweat, hop in. Just maybe donā€™t look downā€¦ or do. Thatā€™s half the fun.

You can find out more HERE at Interesting Engineering.

Would you ride the Sky High Terror Ride - I mean - The Bailong Elevator?

Answer the poll below to be entered into next edition's random game giveaway!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Yikes.

āš” Cool Links

šŸ¤” 3 aspects of a city-building game, but you can only pick 2. Which would it be?
Ah, the classic city-builder dilemma: do you want it to look gorgeous, run on a potato, or simulate traffic jams that give you flashbacks to rush hour? Only pick two, and say goodbye to your dream game with a beautiful, realistic metropolis that doesnā€™t need a NASA supercomputer.

āŒ› Time lapse construction of a 60' x 6' FRP bridge over a creek
A time-lapse of a 60-foot bridge without the painful background music? Finally, someone gets it. But hey, I know a certain Civil Engineer with a few Spotify songs they couldā€™ve used to spice it upā€¦ šŸ‘€

šŸ” Can you beat Cities Skylines 2 WITHOUT building a city?
Can you beat Cities Skylines 2 without building a city? Absolutely! Welcome to Village Skylines, where we redefine ā€œurban planningā€ as just one house and maybe a sheep. Turns out, less is more...

šŸ‘¾ Nintendo and PokĆ©mon officially suing Palworld
Nintendo and PokĆ©mon are officially suing Palworld, and letā€™s be realā€”we all saw it coming. Itā€™s like Pikachu was quietly charging up this whole time, and now, boom! Indie Devs Pocket Pair better have saved up those Palworld millions, because going up against Nintendoā€™s lawyers is basically like facing a level 100 Snorlax.

šŸ•ā€šŸ¦ŗ Paddyā€™s Corner

Paddy does a BRIDGE REVIEW!

Throwback time! Paddy is back with his very first bridge review!

A solid 7.2 out of 10. Not bad for an apprentice getting his paws-on experience!

šŸ‘¾ Indie Game of the Week:

They made a REVERSE tower defense game!?

So, they went and flipped the script on tower defense games! Countless Army lets you play as the bad guyā€”sending waves of troops to crush enemy defenses instead of defending your own.

Itā€™s like reverse Tower Defense, where you summon, upgrade, and destroy everything in sight. Basically, you get to be an architectā€™s worst nightmareā€”we're crossing bridges and demolishing buildings! 

I had a blast playing this one! You can check out the chaos in my video below, and find the game here: Countless Army on Steam.

Itā€™s time for a Bridge Review!

Alright, bridge enthusiasts, todayā€™s review is on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, a true behemoth of civil engineering. Stretching a casual 55 kilometers (thatā€™s 34 miles for my imperial friends), this mega-bridge connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau like they're just down the street from each other.

First off, the sheer scale is enough to make any civil engineer weak in the knees. Not only is it one of the longest sea crossings in the world, but they even threw in an underwater tunnel for good measure, because apparently building across the ocean wasnā€™t challenging enough. Toss in a couple of artificial islands and youā€™ve got yourself a bridge with more features than a Swiss army knife.

Driving across it? Youā€™ll probably need a playlist or two to pass the timeā€”itā€™s that long. But honestly, itā€™s a road trip dream for anyone who appreciates great engineering. My only complaint? If youā€™re not into epic infrastructure, this might feel like overkill... but hey, thatā€™s your loss.

You can find more info on it HERE.

Itā€™s too big to get a full photo of!

Final score: 9.4/10. The sheer size and engineering are jaw-dropping, but you might need a snack break halfway through.

šŸ— r/realcivilengineer Spotlight

Thanks to u/ManuFlosoYT on Reddit for sharing this strong British road trip. šŸ’Ŗ

šŸ¤” Thoughts from an Engineer

Peace, Love and Terrifying Giant Elevators,

Matt